Early in its history, Earth experienced a pounding from extraterrestrial impacts. But instead of sterilizing the planet, it allowed microbial life to persist, according to numerical models of Earth's crust.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
NASA/JPL/USGS
References
Abramov, O. & Mojzsis, S. J. Nature 459, 419–422 (2009).
Nisbet, E. G. & Sleep, N. H. Nature 409, 1083–1091 (2001).
Bowring, S. A. & Williams, I. S. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 134, 3–16 (1999).
Whitehouse, M. J., Myers, J. S. & Fedo, C. M. J. Geol. Soc. 166, 335–348 (2009).
Maher, K. A. & Stevenson, D. J. Nature 331, 612–614 (1988).
Sleep, N. H., Zahnle, K. J., Kasting, J. F. & Morowitz, H. J. Nature 342, 139–142 (1989).
Wilde, S. A., Valley, J. W., Peck, W. H. & Graham, C. M. Nature 409, 175–178 (2001).
Mojzsis, S. J., Harrison, T. M. & Pidgeon, R. T. Nature 409, 178–181 (2001).
Finlay, B. Science 296, 1061–1063 (2002).
Gold, T. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 89, 6045–6049 (1992).
Lin, L.-H. et al. Science 314, 479–482 (2006).
Szewzyk, U., Szewzyk, R. & Stenström, T.-A. Proc.Natl Acad. Sci. USA 91, 1810–1813 (1994).
Kashefi, K. & Lovley, D. R. Science 301, 934 (2003).
Pace, N. R. Science 276, 734–740 (1997).
Di Giulio, M. J. Theor. Biol. 221, 425–436 (2003).
Schwartzman, D. W. & Lineweaver, C. H. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 32, 168–171 (2004).
Boussau, B., Blanquart, S., Necsulea, A., Lartillot, N. & Gouy, M. Nature 456, 942–946 (2008).
Rothschild, L. J. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 363, 2787–2801 (2008).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rothschild, L. Life battered but unbowed. Nature 459, 335–336 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/459335a
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/459335a
- Springer Nature Limited